I’m going to be honest with you: I’ve never gone through a breakup, so I don’t know how much it hurts or how long it takes to feel better. But if you’ve broken up with your boyfriend and you regret it, my heart goes out to you. And my hope is that this post will encourage you to keep moving forward instead of turning back.
The Aftermath
Earlier this year, I wrote a post for girls who have considered getting back together with their boyfriends after breaking up with them. Maybe you’re one of those girls now.
You recently broke up with your boyfriend but are beginning to wonder if you made the right decision. All your family members and friends expressed their concerns about him before you ended the relationship—which is the main reason you decided to end it. Even though it was the hardest thing you had ever done, you did it. You sat down with your boyfriend, told him why you couldn’t continue dating him, and promised he would find a girl who would make him happy.
But all you have to show for your courage is loneliness, heartache, and despair—and lots of regret.
Before you pick up your phone to call him and tell him you were wrong, hang on for a minute. You don’t have to do that. In fact, I encourage you not to do that. No matter how much pain you’re in right now, remember the heartbreak will heal if you simply wait.
The Significance of Silence
As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” (Exodus 14:10-14 NASB1995)
I can imagine that one of the hardest parts of breaking up with a guy is the silence you experience afterward. After all, he’s not texting or calling anymore. He’s not with you while you’re eating dinner or watching a movie or driving around the city. He’s not making you laugh or smile or cry. He’s not talking about his crazy coworkers or his new car or his playful dog. He’s not telling you he loves you or misses you or wants to marry you.
Your world is silent—and you hate the silence. But the silence is more valuable than you think. God works in the silence. He provides in the silence. He does miracles in the silence.
That’s what struck me about the passage above from Exodus 14. Although the Israelites cried out to God when the Egyptians were pursuing them, they ultimately allowed their fears to run wild. As soon as they left Egypt, they regretted leaving—even though they had been slaves there! But God used Moses to proclaim the truth to the Israelites, instructing them not to fear and promising them that the Lord would save them from the Egyptians. As they were silent—not doubting or lamenting or panicking—God would fight for them.
And He did! He kept His promise to the Israelites and performed a miracle that day. When the Israelites moved forward instead of turning back, God parted the waters of the Red Sea so they could walk through it on dry ground (and brought the waters back together when the Egyptians showed up).
I don’t know why you broke up with your boyfriend, but if you felt like God was leading you to do it, then don’t regret your decision for another minute. God is working through your breakup. He doesn’t waste the silence. He’s leading you somewhere better than Egypt, so don’t go back there. Move forward. The silence is an opportunity to trust Him, and you won’t regret trusting Him.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 